Proselytizing in Afghanistan

Buddy Jesus wants you to spread the word!

This is a pervasive problem within the US Military that I have had a major problem with for many years. The dangers behind this fundamentalist policy can be the actual loss of life to U.S. Servicemembers, many of whom (like myself) are not here to fight a religious battle.

This is a video that was recorded in Afghanistan and shows how the Chaplain was giving them instructions on how to proselytize and what to say in order to circumvent the rules and regulations governing that.

The dangers behind these kinds of policies should be apparently obvious. For some, however, we are left wondering how they scored high enough on the ASVAB (military entrance exam) to figure out how to put their uniform on properly. I don’t know if the chaplaincy requires a test score in order to become eligible to serve in a non-combatant role. I would hope so. What they lack in physical weapons (i.e. a gun) they make up for with religious weapons.

With all that’s being displayed in our current military it’s a wonder that some FROM the religious community don’t stand up and say something to fight it off. I know that there is a pervasive movement throughout the secular community condemning this and I rarely, if ever, see any of the Christian community standing up against their own extremists.

What can you do?

Write the command–or better yet contact me (ploebe@atheists.org). I’ll put a statement on here with the issue and publish their mailing addresses.

I figured out what you meant, but at first I guessed that “prosthelytizing” must be propaganda for artificial limbs. Possibly non-amputees did not have this problem.

Justin Griffith

Paul – you’ve received helpful comments. When you misspell stuff in the title it’s bad. People forgive little mistakes and grammar flubs here and there (you’re generally quite good). I fixed this one – hope you don’t mind!

I love the commenters here – they know I like reasonable criticism. This one was hilarious and incisive. +1 Arpanets for Zeke.

Paul Loebe

lol. Thanks!

beerslayer

I may not be as witty as Zeke, but it still looks like you’re preaching to artificial limbs. If it’s been changed, the change hasn’t reached California yet…

Good article, though. People like that who preach at an unwilling enemy are going to do far more harm than good to their own cause. Perhaps this is a good thing in the long run?

Having multiple editors has its advantages as well. It certainly is a learning experience.

F

Multiple, remote, asynchronous editors is probably what does it.

With all that’s being displayed in our current military it’s a wonder that some FROM the religious community don’t stand up and say something to fight it off.

Lots of barely religious and irreligious sorts ignore this as well. Sometimes people think it is some sort of psychological advantage, or valid weapon, (they’ll pull some Sun Tzu quote at you, fer shure), or they are xenophobic or “patriotic” or a military cultist who doesn’t care what weapon is used, because they refuse to get

The dangers behind this fundamentalist policy

pragmatic part, never mind any other reasons.

Zengaze

No you don’t share the word when your in fucking uniform. Period. Tax payers dollars paying for religious wingnuts to fill their own god shaped hole by trying to convince other people that the shit they’re peddling isn’t insanity.

The Asian guy was classic in this vid, I think he was there for the free cookies and milk, and his sgt told him it was this or latrines…… Paraphrase “lol man we can’t just go round telling these people that they’re wrong cause that’s just stupid” pvt witnesses the faces of guys who could cause his days to go slower resemble the body snatchers….. “uh what I mean is of course we’ve got the truth.. Uh.. Truth…. We just got to love aswel.. Yeah love.”

I was on a mission trip to N.Africa one time, and it’s illegal to evangelise there, so of course the official line was we were there to do aid work, that was stressed no end… Before we were about to jump off we were given handouts telling us in explicit terms we were there as crusaders for Christ, the aid thingie was a cover, and detailed instructions on how and where to preach…… I must try and dig it out, I might still have it somewhere. Of course we were told in no uncertain terms this handout was not to come with us. Yeah Christians and their honesty policies…. Lying was ordered in the handout, if any government person, police etc asked, you were to say you were an aid worker, never admit to being a missionary.